Kournikova tops Sanchez Vicario at German Open
(c) 1997 Copyright Nando.net
(c) 1997 Associated Press
RESULTS
BERLIN (May 15, 1997 - 21:13 EST) -- Anna Kournikova, a 15-year-old Russian who is part of
the new generation in women's tennis, beat Arantxa Sanchez Vicario 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 at the German
Open on Thursday for the biggest victory of her career.
In reaching the quarterfinals of the $927,000 tournament, Kournikova for the first time defeated a
player ranked in the top 10.
"At first I was overly excited, but then I got used to the atmosphere," Kournikova said. "It was just a
normal match for me."
"I think I lost the match -- she didn't win the match," said Sanchez Vicario, who is ranked No. 6 in
the world and has dominated women's tennis this decade with Steffi Graf and Monica Seles.
Since reaching the fourth round of the U.S. Open last year, Kournikova has been billed as one of the
game's most promising youngsters along with Martina Hingis, who has supplanted Graf as the No. 1
player, and Venus Williams.
No. 12 seed Mary Pierce of France also reached the quarters, downing No. 4 Conchita Martinez of
Spain 6-2, 6-0. Pierce, who also beat the Spaniard to win last week's Italian Open, has reached
three finals in her last five tournaments.
"It's funny, everything I tried worked," Pierce said. "I'm just playing great right now."
In Friday's quarters, Kournikova faces No. 10 seed Mary Joe Fernandez, who beat France's
Sandine Testud 6-2, 6-2. Pierce plays No. 6 seed Iva Majoli of Croatia, a 6-4, 6-2 winner over
Italy's Gloria Pizzichini.
No. 2 seed Jana Novotna routed Nathalie Tauziat of France 6-0, 6-2. On Friday she plays
Belgium's Sabine Appelmans, who upset No. 8 Irina Spirlea of Romania 6-7 (2-7), 6-2, 6-3.
The tournament started with 16 of the world's top 20 players, including Graf, the top seed, who is
making a comeback from a knee injury.
Her next test comes Friday against South Africa's Amanda Coetzer, who ousted Graf from this
year's Australian Open. Coetzer rolled past No. 14 Judith Wiesner of Austria 6-1, 6-1.
Kournikova -- lashing two-handed backhands and executing perfect drop shots -- turned the
second set into a rout against the 25-year-old Sanchez-Vicario, a former No. 1 with three Grand
Slam titles.
"I think I have a lot of variety in my game," said the teen-ager. "That's the most important thing to
me."
Sanchez-Vicario, whose record fell to 13-11 in 1997, let the match slip away when Kournikova
rattled off the first five points of the second set.
"I let her hit a few winners and climb back into the match," the Spaniard said.
Sanchez Vicario, whose last title came in Hamburg 13 months ago, said she's been watching the new
wave of players like Kournikova.
"It's interesting," she said. "They're starting just the way we did -- they have nothing to lose. We've
been here so long."
Pierce said the early exit of Martinez and Lindsay Davenport, ousted in the second round, shows
how the competition has improved. First- and second-round matches used to be sure wins for
seeded players.
"Now there's a lot of young girls playing well," Pierce said. "There's a new generation. Today they're
better athletes. Nobody used to go to the gym to train. Now a lot of girls are starting to do that."
